Torpedo capturing and destroying net



E. KOHLER.

TORPEDO CAPTURING AND DESTROYING NET.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 17. 1919.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

V\ I C 5;

WITNESSES lM/ENTOR Zfi/YEJFT [THHLA'H ATTORNEYS E. KOHLERI.

TORPEDO CAPTURING AND DESTROYING NET.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 11. 1919.

1,337,920. Pfltellmd pr- 20, 192%.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES /Nl/E/VTU/? W M ATTURNEYS attacks which often occur at sea where the nmran STATES PATENT OFFEQEQ ERNEST KOHLER,

OF ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.

TORPEDO CAPTURING AND DESTROYING NET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Application filed October 17, 1919. Serial No. 331,402.

reference more .particularly to a net which.

may be cast from a ship and vertically presented in the path of an approaching torpedo to intercept the torpedo in its travel toward the ressel from which the net is cast. As heretofore practised in naval warfare. various means have been provided for protecting ships against torpedo attacks. Most of these devices while found to be practical in protecting ships anchored in harbors are lacking in utility so far as concerns sh ps;

that are under way.

The present invention has for its primary object to provide a guardagainst submarine vessel is under way from one port to another.

A further object is to so' construct the guard or protecting device-that it will not only prevent the torpedo from reachingitsgoal, but the device is capable of also destroying the torpedo.

A practicalembodiment of the idea is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side view of a net whichis employed as a part of the invention, the said view showing the net as anchored to the winding drum andthe projectiles. 4

Fig. 2lis a side'elevation of the relative position of the net when presented in the path of the torpedo, the dotted lines showing the result or the torpedo strikin the net just before the explosive charge 0 the projectile has been fired.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the winding drum showing the same partly in section. Fig. L is a top plan view of the means for casting the projectiles showing its position relative to the drum on which the net is wound. i

Fig. 5 is an end view in elevation looking in the direction of the arrows shown in.

Fig. 4..

. I These projectiles pacity of casting weights whereby the net Fig. 6 is an elevation of the pivotal mount ing ror the casting device.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line i -(of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through one of the.projectiles; and

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of one of the projectiles showing the foldable canopy open and the firing mechanism cocked.

Referring to the drawings in detail, certain features of the idea consist in casting the net 1 into the path of an approaching torpedo such as A and intercepting the same in its travel toward the ship from which the net 1 is cast. The net 1' is anchored to and wound upon a relatively long floating drum 2 which drum is supported longitudinally along the gunwale or in any other convene icnt position on a ship with the spindles 3 at its opposite ends supported with freedom of rotation in suitable open bearings 4. The

edge of the net may be anchored to the winding drum in any suitable manner-such as by means of eyes 5.

The net is preferablyconstructed of heavy mesh material with the meshes thereof of proper size to insnare the tapered head of a torpedo. Secured to and spaced at proper the free end of the net area plurality o projectiles 6 the particular construction of which will be presently deintervals alon scribed.

primarily act in the camay be cast from the ship and-as stated presented verticall in the path of an approaching torpedo. 11 order to effect the casting of the net in proper position to intercept the torpedo, the projectiles are simultaneously and collectively projected by means of a plurality of cannons 7', each of which is mounted with the bore thereof made to re ceive the cylindrical end 8 of a projectile.

The. cannons are adapted to be fired simul-' taneously andto accomplish this result an electriccircuit which is controlled by a button 9 is employed. Upon closing of the circuit by this button 9; the circuit is completed to the firing device of each cannonand said' cannons will be fired simultaneously. As stated the drum on which the net is wound islocated along the side of the ship and the cannons whi h fire the projectiles 6 are arranged at spaced intervals over the net by means of a rotatable mounting 10 supported intermediate its ends b a rotatable standard 11. Inasmuch as t e bearings 4 for the spindle 3 of the drums are carried by the rotatable mounting 10 for the cannons, the whole device is capable of longitudinal and vertical axial movement which will enable the device to be sighted by means the handles 12. The standard 11 is provided with horizontal bearing 13 through which ,the

mounting 10 extends with freedom o't rota? -tion.. This will enable vertical axial movement of the device to behad and inasmuch as in the path of the approaching 1 t (1 e um ers 00 the standard 11 is constructedof apost 14 on which the elongated sleeve 15of the bearing 13- is' mounted the necessary longitudinal axial movement of the device is obtained. J

Each of the projectiles as stated is se-- cured to the free end of the net 1 preferablyv to recover the net or any part thereof or instead of casting the complete device the drum may be more or less permanently secured in its bearings and act as a means for anchoring the net to the ship.

As heretofore described the projectiles primarily involve the means for casting the net. They also have a secondary function.

For instance it is not only desirable to capture the torpedo buti'f possible, the torpedo should be destroyedto prevent any poss1- bility of the same reaching its goal. W th this in=vieW',ea'ch of theprojecti'les is' adapt ed to contain an explosive charge which will be fired by the impact of the torpedo with i the net. To accomplish this, each projectile isconstructed with the explosive charge con= taining chamber 17, a removable head 18, a

primer 19, a percussion cap 20, and'a plunger 21 having a recess 22 adapted to normally overlie and house the percussion cap 20, the plunger being maintained in this position by the thumb screw 23 entering the side of the plunger casing 24behind the plunger and by means of the transversely presented end 25 of one of. the ribs 26, en

tering a recess in the side of the plunger through a registering opening in the side of the plunger casing 24 in the rear of screw 23. This means will normally maintain the plunger inactive, and previous to firing the projectiles both of these means are withdrawn from engagement with the plunger whereby the same may be rendered capable o-f-longitudinal movement within its housing 24. interposed between the plunger 21 and the end closure 28 of the' casing 24 is a bridge the space between the ed or trigger 31, thus coil spring 29, the tendency of which is the vsame to move in this position, and the weight 'of the projectile wi v I ger to frecede to the rear of its casing24', the

1 cause the plunprojectile bein securedgto the not by the eye '16 which is] xedupon the plunger rod.

Just as soon as the plunger. has been withdrawn from around the percussion cap 20 an impaling finger 31; which is ivoted as at 32 and under the influence .of t espring 33, will contact with the'percussion cap 20 and ges of'the recess 22 in the plungerso that impact of the plunger thereon inay'fire the charge in the chamber 17-through the percussioncap 20 and the primer 19. The firing of'the charge is brought about in this manner. When a torpedo is in contact with the net the impact caused thereby willfdistoi't the net and exert a pull on the projectile which is resisted by the open canopy 27. The resistance thus caused will be suflicient toretard the torpedo especially as in all probability all of the canopies will tarded, the s ring 29 on at least one ofthe projectiles will be brought into use and impart the necessary thrust to theplun er and cause the same to fire the charge by riving thetrigger or finger 31 through the cap 20 thus impaling the same with the cavity 22 of the plunger brid ed by thesaid finger estroying the torpedo or at least its propelling means.

From the above, it will be seen thatnot j only with this arrangement may-the'torpedo be successfully captured .butit may also be destroyed whichis a decided improvement over previously known torpedo guards.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A marine net comprising a net work, adapted to be wound upon a'drum with one end attached thereto, a pluralityof projectiles at spacedintervals along the free end of the net, and means for projecting said projectiles to cast submerge the same. p

2. A marine net comprising a net work, adapted to be wound upon a drum with one end attached thereto, a plurality of projectiles at spaced intervals along the free end of the net, and means for projecting said projectiles to cast the net and vertically submerge the same, said projectiles constructed'to contain an explosive charge to be fired by the impact of an object with the net.

3; In a device of the class described, a marine net, a drum to which one end of the act in this capacity and when the torpedo has been rethe net and vertically net is attached and upon which the net is wound, a plurality of projectiles at spaced intervals along the free end of the net, and means for sinmltaneously and collectively projecting the said projectiles with a common trajectory tor casting the net in a sheetlike form, said projectiles adapted to vertically submerge the net.

[4. In a device of the class described, and as set forth' in claim 3 and in which the projectiles are constructed to contain explosive charges with means for firing the same upon impact of an object with the net. 5. In a marine net, :1 net work, a float on one end thereof, a plurality of projec tiles at spaced intervals along the opposite end, and means for collectively and simultaneously projecting the projectiles with a common trajectory lor casting the net, said projectiles adapted to vertically submerge the net.

6. In a marine net, a net work, a float on one end thereof, a plurality of projectiles at spaced intervals along the opposite end, and means for collectivelyand simultaneously projecting the projectiles with a common trajectory for casting the net, said projectiles adapted to vertically submerge the net, and comprising explosive devices adapted to be fired by the impact of an object contacting with the net.

7. In a marine net as set forth in claim 5 and in which the projectiles comprise explosive devices each of which having a normally inactive firing device, andmeans for rendering each firing device active to cooperate with the net in singularly or collectively firing the explosive devices by the impact of an object with the net.

8. In combination with a marine net, an explosive device comprising an explosive charge containing chamber, means for firing said explosive charge upon the impact of an object with the net comprising a plunger having a direct attachment to the net, a firing device with which the plunger co-acts in firing the charge, a canopy on ,the device adapted to resist movement of the explosive device in a direction toward the net, and a spring behind the plunger adapted to be compressed by the action of said canopy and expanded to force the plunger against the firing device when the pull on the means attaching the plunger to the net is relieved.

ERNEST KOHLER. 

